This week, Fordham’s President Emeritus Checker Finn joins the show to unpack a troubling trend—the collapse of graduation standards—and why it matters for every American student.

Then, on David Griffith’s first Research Minute, a new study looks at the demographics of college applicants interested in teaching in America—and explores why some who enter similar “helping professions,” like nursing and social work, steer clear of the classroom.

Recommended content: 

• High school graduation standards have collapsed. Does it matter? —Michael J. Petrilli, Schooled
• Are high school graduation standards too low? —Michael J. Petrilli, Schooled
• The end of MCAS is the end of an era. Now let’s figure out what comes next. —Michael J. Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
• Who wants to be a teacher? — Robert Chung, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
• Who wants to be a teacher? — Brendan Bartanen, Andrew Avitabile, and Andrew Kwok, EdWorking Papers (2025)

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